


I was stronger than him, so why couldn't I fight back?

by chvotic



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: All relationships are platonic, Angst, Father Figures, Father-Son Relationship, Flash Thompson Redemption (sorta), Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Panic Attacks, Party, Peter Parker Deserves Better, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Platonic Relationships, Poor Peter Parker, Post-Canon, Precious Peter Parker, Rape Aftermath, Sad Peter Parker, Sexual Assault, Teen Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-06-29 04:36:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15722100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chvotic/pseuds/chvotic
Summary: "H-he t-t-took my clothes." Peter whispered, before choking out a painful sounding sob. Ned glanced down at his friend's face, shock shooting through his veins when he saw the sudden emotion all over Peter's face. Just a few seconds ago, his face had been void of emotion. And now, as if Ned, MJ and Flash's arrival had triggered him, he was beginning to break."I w-want Dad."Ned froze, all other thoughts wiped from his head. Dad?





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> ok so i randomly came up with this one day and i couldn't not write it ok
> 
> trigger warnings i think???
> 
> ALL. RELATIONSHIPS. ARE. PLATONIC.  
> thanks

When Ned received a text from Peter, he had been relieved at first.

Peter had been missing for just over half an hour, and Ned and MJ had been searching Flash's house desperately for their best friend. Ned knew turning up to Flash's party, that they had somehow been invited to, was a bad idea. When Peter had disappeared from their sides, they weren't too worried. They both collectively knew that Peter could stand up for himself, being that he was Spider-Man and all, but Ned knew that Peter wouldn't use his powers when he was just Peter Parker. Though, Ned wasn't sure if MJ knew that.

So when he had received that text, he had been relieved because that meant Peter was still alive.

But when he read the text, his worries really did amplify. He nudged MJ, whose head snapped to the side to peer at Ned's phone screen. They stood in the middle of the living room, or the dance floor as it had been morphed into, peering over Ned's tiny phone as people bustled around them.

_From Peter Parker, 10:58pm_

_help_

MJ shared a moderately concerned look with him before Ned hastily began to type back.

_To Peter Parker, 10:58pm_

_are u okay? where r u?_

It took a few minutes before the little speech bubble appeared, indicating that Peter was typing. It disappeared a few times, as if he had stopped typing, before reappearing like nothing had happened. It took another few minutes for a reply to come through, and when the two of them had read the message, they were scrambling around the house looking for Flash.

_From Peter Parker, 11:04pm_

_i'm in a geust bedrooms helvp_

The spelling errors in Peter's text may have been indicating that Peter was shaking, Ned's blood running cold as they shoved past people in search of Flash. Anxiety had Ned's heart in a chokehold, MJ holding onto his sleeve so they didn't get separated in the crowd. A lot more people had turned up than what Flash expected, it seemed, giving that most of the faces were unrecognisable. Had his party been gatecrashed by strangers?

Ned ignored that thought when they spotted Flash sitting outside, on his deck, head on hand. It looked like he was about to bawl his eyes out, but the two friends ignored that as they stormed over to the distressed-looking boy.

"Flash." MJ snapped, voice raising over the music. "Where is your guest bedroom?"

Flash looked at them, eyebrows furrowing and his face turning into a sneer. Any trace of emotional breakdown was gone. "What?"

"Your guest bedroom!" Ned almost yelled, his phone shaking in his hand. "Where is it?"

"Why?" Flash asked, a blink of confusion passing over his eyes. It was gone before Ned could think too much about it, the defensive stare once again becoming prominent on his bully's face. "You planning on having your first times in there or something?"

"Flash, shut the fuck up and listen to us." MJ snapped, taking a threatening step forwards. Flash's eyebrows arched up, eyeing MJ up and down as she continued speaking. "Peter's in there and he's trouble. Care to show us where it is?"

"Why do I care about Penis' wellbeing? Why do I care about- why are you even here?" Flash looked astonished, but was standing anyways. "I swear to God, losers, if this is one big ploy to get me back for-"

"This is serious, dipshit. Show us where it is." MJ cut him off, Ned even feeling threatened by the glare on her face. "Hurry up."

"Alright, fine. Jesus." Flash growled, eyeing MJ before taking off. Ned and MJ followed behind him, almost losing each other in the crowds as they made their way to the staircase. Ned watched Flash as he made his way through his own living room, and he could see the panic on his side profile when he turned his head. Ned ignored this, thoughts of what may be wrong with Peter surging up into his head and taking first priority as the three of them stomped up the stairs.

They ignored the people making out in Flash's hall, following the boy to the very end door in the hallway. Flash tried the doorknob, his eyebrows furrowing downwards in some sort of confusion when the knob didn't budge. He continued to rifle through his pockets for a few seconds, before pulling out a few keys. Who locked guest bedrooms?

"What the fuck..." Flash was whispering as he looked through the keys, presumably looking for the right one. "Who fucking locked the door..."

Finally, after what felt like years, he found the right key and inserted it into the lock. Ned watched as the lock clicked, the door handle turning and the door was being pushed open. Ned couldn't see from where he was standing, but from the way both MJ and Flash's faces both paled and were drained of blood, he knew whatever was in there wasn't good.

He pushed past the other two, feeling the blood drain from his face too as his heart fell into his shoes. There, curled up sideways on the bed facing the doorway, was Peter. Peter was completely naked, and in the darkness Ned could faintly make out the tear tracks on his best friend's face. His eyes were then moving to the window, which was open, the cold air filtering in through the open space. Peter's clothes were nowhere to be seen, and dread filled Ned's stomach faster than he could bare.

"Oh my god.." He heard Flash murmur, and before Ned knew it he was rushing over to his best friend, who lay naked on top of Flash Thompson's guest bed. The lights flicked on as he did so, the door closing, Peter flinching from the sudden light. 

"Get him a blanket." He heard MJ snap to Flash, Ned ignoring it all as he hurried over to his friend. Peter looked completely emotionless, the tears running down his cheeks at the same time. Peter looked so blank it terrified him, and it was almost as if his tears were just a reflex. 

Ned now noticed the three purplish-coloured hickeys on Peter's neck, and soon his eyes were travelling to the angry red line covering his skin. Scratches. Ned knew that they would be gone before morning, but that didn't mean that it never happened. He could see the blood on his friend's lip and around some of the scratches, and immediately he found himself ready to kill whoever had done this too his best friend.

Peter didn't move when Ned clambered onto the bed, and he merely flinched when Ned moved his head onto his thigh as gently as he could. MJ hurried over with a large and fluffy blanket, Ned only now just noticing the substance coating both Peter and the bedsheets. His stomach turned violently at what the substance might be, distracting his mind by helping MJ cover Peter's exposed skin with the blanket. Flash was frozen by the open closet, his mouth hanging open and confusion in plain sight all over his face. 

"Peter..." Ned whispered, running his hand through his friend's hair. Peter had always gone on about how May, and even Tony Stark, ran their hands through his hair when he was upset and made him feel comforted. So, he mirrored the action, hoping that it was comforting to him. "Who did this to you? What happened?"

Peter tensed, and Ned could feel that he was struggling to keep the sobs inside his body. "I-I d-don't k-k-know who h-he was."

_It was a boy._

"H-he t-t-took my clothes." Peter whispered, before choking out a painful sounding sob. Ned glanced down at his friend's face, shock shooting through his veins when he saw the sudden emotion all over Peter's face. Just a few seconds ago, his face had been void of emotion. And now, as if Ned, MJ and Flash's arrival had triggered him, he was beginning to break.

"I w-want Dad."

Ned froze, all other thoughts wiped from his head. Dad?

He shared a look with MJ, who had moved to kneel in front of Peter and had placed a hand on his shoulder. Peter flinched violently at the touch, another sob leaving his mouth as he cowered away from the girl's hand, face pressing into Ned's jean-clad thighs. He was now sobbing so hard and so violently Ned feared that he would hack up his lungs, his breathing erratic and jagged as cried. MJ looked slightly hurt by Peter's flinch, though she seemed to brush it off before setting her hand back on his arm, gently rubbing as if to comfort him.

Peter flinched a second time, but didn't pull away. Ned looked over to Flash, who had his mouth hanging open like he had no idea what to do, or how to react. Ned was sure if he were Flash, he would be doing the exact same thing. But Ned wasn't Flash, and this was his best friend.

Well, he still had no idea what to do. But he might as well try, right?

"Do you want me to call May?" Ned whispered, ignoring the panic running through his veins like ice cold water.

"N-no." Peter sobbed, coughing so violently it must hurt. MJ moved to rub his back, Ned hoping it would help calm down his distraught friend as he tried to get out his sentence. "S-she's work-ing. Don' wanna bo-ther her." Peter seemed to choke on his words mid-way, Ned's heart plummeting even further as his friend shook violently. "I-I want my D-Dad."

Ned felt every ounce of calm seep out of his skin through his sweat, tears beginning to burn against his eyelids as he continued running his hand through his friend's hair. Peter didn't have a father anymore, so who was he asking for?

"Peter.." Ned began, chewing his lip as he sent a worried look in MJ's direction. "What about Tony?"

Ned saw Flash's head snap up, his full attention on the word Tony. Of course, Flash didn't believe that Peter really knew Tony Stark. Peter's entire body tensed up at his mentor's name, as if he had realised he had done something wrong. Ned was unsure what to make of Peter's reaction, continuing to run a hand through his hair as Peter's sobs got impossibly louder. 

"Y-yes!" He almost yelled, desperately trying to breathe in as much air as he could at once. "Dad!"

Oh.

_Oh._

He meant Tony.

Why was Ned so stupid?

"Where's your phone?" MJ asked quietly, continuing to rub Peter's back. Peter's shaking arm raised from underneath the blanket, causing it to fall off of his shoulder and midway down his back as he tried to sit up. Ned saw Peter's face scrunch up in pain as he tried to move, a shaky finger pointing in the direction of one of the floor. 

Ned couldn't believe it.

Had his friend been raped, and he hadn't even known? He didn't even remember seeing any boy's around Peter beforehand, so who could it have been?

"Flash." MJ snapped, and the boy didn't need to hear anymore before he was moving around to look at the floor. In just a few seconds Flash was bending down, Peter's crappy and smashed phone clenched in his fist when he stood back up.

Ned grabbed the phone from Flash, immediately turning the thing on without any hesitation. In that moment, Ned thanked all the God's possible that Peter had told him his phone password, incase something bad were to happen to him. Something bad, as in this. Ned would hope that day would never come, but here they were.

He immediately went to Peter's contacts, typing a single T into the search bar. Tony Stark came up instantly, and without hesitating he pressed call and brought the phone up to his ear. Flash hovered beside him, mouth still hanging open after he had obviously read the contact name. He still looked a bit skeptical, but Ned knew all of that suspiciousness would be gone when Tony Stark himself came swooping in to save his kid, just like Ned knew he would.

Ned listened to the rings, watching as Peter reached out to hold MJ's hand. He was still choking on his sobs, MJ muttering things to him that Ned couldn't hear. She was talking so quietly he was surprised Peter could even hear her, but then he remembered his spidey senses, as both Peter and Ned had dubbed them. He soon caught on that MJ was talking quietly on purpose, to both distract Peter and not let Flash in on what she was saying.

The phone rung out, and dread filled Ned's stomach. He pressed call again, desperately waiting to heat the man's voice on the other end. No matter how much he idolised Tony Stark and would be freaking out about calling him under any other circumstance, Peter was his first priority right now. His friend had been assaulted, and he needed Tony. So Ned would get Tony.

The phone rung out for a second time, Ned cursing under his breath as Flash continued to hover beside him. The beat from the music was starting to become annoying, Ned chewing his lip in both nerves and frustration as he called Tony for a third consecutive time. Ned had thought it was going to ring out for a third time, but finally, the voice of the famous Tony Stark filled his ears.

Peter seemed to hear his mentor's voice, too, because he immediately tensed and began to hyperventilate all over again, just when he had begun to calm down.

God, Peter didn't deserve this.

"Kid, this better be worth it if you've called me three times in a row at midnight..." Tony's assured, cocky voice sounded in Ned's right ear, Ned finding himself dumbstruck for a few seconds. He had no idea what to say, he had no idea how to tell Iron Man that his kid had possibly been sexually assaulted. "Kid? Are you there? Is everything alright? Are you at a party?" That cocky tone was gone and replaced with worry, Ned's stomach churning uncomfortably as Peter fought to get a hand on his emotions.

"We need your help." Ned blurted out, making sure he was still running other his hand through Peter's hair. "Peter needs your help."

"Who is this?" Tony had asked, concern filtering in as well as the worry. "Is there someone crying? Is that-"

"Ned. Peter's best friend." Ned hurried, cutting Tony off as his voice began to shake. "Something happened to him- he needs your help, we don't know what t-to do, please come. He needs you."

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, track Peter's phone." Tony's voice answered Ned's panic, sounding distant as though he had moved the phone away from his ear. Soon, his voice was loud again. "Ned, what is his condition?"

He could hear the sounds of metal, and immediately Ned knew he was getting into the suit. If this were any other day, in any other situation, Ned would totally be nerding out to what he was hearing and what he knew was happening. But Peter was in trouble, Ned couldn't think about anything else but his best friend.

"U-um, he was naked when we found him." Ned heard the hitch of breath on the other end of the phone. Peter also tensed, his breathing intensifying the more Ned spoke. MJ continued to quietly speak to him, trying to distract him from the conversation happening right in front of him. Ned took a split second to look over at Flash, who had his mouth hanging open with regret now lingering in his expression. "His clothes are gone. I think he was-"

"I'm on my way, kid." Tony cut him off, almost as if he didn't want to hear Ned say it. "Can I talk to him?"

Peter moved, almost throwing his body around as he reached up for the phone in Ned's hand. Ned didn't answer the billionaire, placing the phone in Peter's shaky hand without a word of protest. Who would he be to protest?

The blanket they had placed over Peter begun to slip further, revealing the angry red lines which Ned had noticed were already beginning to repair themselves, though some seemed to be worse than others. Ned felt the blood drain from his face for a second time as he pulled the blanket back over his skin, providing Peter with the last morsel of dignity that he had left.

He didn't really understand what Peter was saying into the phone, being that it was mixed with tears and coughs and pleads. Ned continued to be there for his friend as he spoke nonsense to Tony Stark, MJ still holding his hand while Flash stood to the side with regret plastered all over his face. Ned could hear Tony speaking, now, given that Peter had put the phone onto speaker mode.

"Kid, I'm almost there." 

"I'm coming, hold on a little longer."

"Underoos, tell me what happened when I get there, alright? I can't understand you."

"Everything's going to be fine."

Ned listened to Tony's endless consoling words, letting his hand fall still in Peter's hair. He had calmed down a little since Tony had begun talking to him, though every time he tried to move just the tiniest bit he would whimper horridly. Ned felt his stomach swirl even more aggressively at the thought of what that boy may have actually done to Peter, wondering how all of this could have possibly happened in half an hour. Maybe it had been longer and Ned hadn't realised? Maybe time had gone a lot faster than he had originally thought?

How could he have let this happen?

Peter, of course, had been skeptical about attending Flash's party. But Ned and MJ had been the ones to convince him to come, and now this has happened. How could they have let this happen?

Ned eyed Flash, who once again looked like he was going to bawl his eyes out right there and then. Over Tony's voice, the loud music and voices from downstairs, it was eerily quiet between the three teens. The only person speaking was Peter, and none of the three knew what to do anymore. They would just have to wait for Tony to arrive, which wouldn't be too much longer, and then they could figure out what happened to Peter from there.

"I'm a minute away, kiddie. I'm going to end the call now, I'll be with you soon."

Ned didn't understand Peter's reply, but it must have been an okay, because the call was ending and Peter was still shaking and crying. Ned couldn't believe this had happened, even with Peter's powers and all of that. Of course, it wasn't Peter's fault, it couldn't possibly be Peter's fault. Ned knew how Peter was, he would blame himself for things that were out of his control.

Ned sighed, looking over to MJ. She was looking back at him, sadness in her eyes. Ned had never seen anything on her face other than boredom, and seeing emotion on her face was new. Though, MJ's facial expressions were hardly his concern when he heard people screaming downstairs, Flash seemingly jumping out of his skin at the sounds. Not soon after, the music stopped, and the faint mechanical sounds of the Iron Man suit filled his ears.

Peter seemed to relax at the sound, despite the shaky breaths he was still taking. Ned listened as the suit got closer and closer, along with the shouting voices, and soon the door was flying open and smacking again the wall.

Despite the situation he was in, Ned's mouth dropped open at the sight of the Iron Man suit. Never, in his life, even when his best friend knew the man, and he found himself silently fanboying. He could see Flash's dumbfounded expression in the corner of his eye when the suit opened up and Tony Stark himself stepped out, the suit immediately closing up and jumping back into action.

Ned watched as the suit turned around, as if it were guarding the door, protecting Peter from the rest of the people outside. Ned could see people trying to look in before the suit had blocked the view, but he could see when they got too close, the suit stood closer and raised it's repulsers. Ned was in awe, though his awestruck feeling was cracked when the emotion broke out onto the billionaire's expression when he saw Peter.

Peter, on the other hand, had let go of MJ's hand and was desperately reaching out for his mentor. Despite how much he was flinching and whimpering in pain, Peter seemed to be slowly moving to get closer to Tony. It wasn't very far, but he was trying. 

Peter did not seem to notice when the blanket slipped away once again, Ned cringing when it revealed Peter's lower half. He couldn't help but look, eyes almost falling out of his head when he spotted the white substance smeared around his backside, along with the faintest tinge of red. Blood.

He felt the tears coming once again when Tony reached them, Peter clinging onto him almost like a child as his arms wrapped around Tony's neck the minute they were in reach. He was pulled away from Ned, who instead grabbed the blanket that had fallen from Peter and had it ready for when he would need it again, which was most likely very soon. 

He could hear the hushed whispers from the people outside the door, a sudden protectiveness overpowering him as his eyebrows furrowed downwards. The Iron Man suit was far too tall and buff for people to see around it, luckily, being that his friend was completely naked and covered in blood, semen and scratches. Along with the ugly coloured hickeys on his neck, Peter had never looked worse.

Ned had never felt so terrible. They should have never convinced Peter to come, it was far out of his comfort zone. And now that something has happened completely out of his consent, Ned had never, ever felt more like shit. He had been a terrible friend, hadn't he?

MJ had moved out of the way, now standing beside the shell-shocked Flash. Ned had never seen Flash show so much emotion in all the years of knowing him, and for once, he found himself not hating the boy for just a few seconds. He had helped them get into the room and to Peter, after all.

But that didn't mean the years worth of bullying was going to be forgotten. No way.

Ned's eyes trailed back to Tony and Peter, who were still wrapped up in the tightest embrace Ned had ever seen. Tony gestured to him for the blanket, Ned instantly placing it in Tony's outstretched hand without thinking twice about it. Tony resumed to pull the blanket around Peter's shoulders, covering his lower half and chest. He was holding him in bridal style, wrapping the blanket around and under his backside before around his shoulders and chest. Tony seemed to be working as fast as he could to cover Peter up, which Ned was thankful for.

He didn't think he could stand looking at his friends wounds any longer.

Ned would have never thought he would see Tony Stark close to tears in his life.

But here he was.

He sat on the bed, ignoring what he might be sitting in, MJ moving to sit beside him. She was also watching the scene, Ned feeling her hand move into his as they watched Tony embrace Peter like he was actually his son. Ned could see the father-son dynamic happening between the two of them, and knowing that Peter was calling him Dad, well, it was pretty much confirmed right there.

"I've got to get him out of here." Tony spoke up, interrupting Ned's thoughts as he let Peter press his face into his neck. "He needs to get to the doctors."

Before Ned or MJ could say a word, he was continuing. "I'll have Happy pick us up. F.R.I.D.A.Y, alert Happy of what's happened and tell him to pick us up."

Ned leant on his elbow, watching Peter's quivering body as Tony spoke to the suit behind him. It didn't move, repulsers still raised, though there was sound of affirmation. Ned had no time to wow over Stark's tech, he had no time for anything. He couldn't believe what had happened.

"Hey, Petey." Ned heard Tony whisper, gently moving Peter's head from where it was buried in his neck. "Do you have the name of the person who did this to you?"

Peter didn't reply, his head lolling forward to where his forehead knocked against Tony's chin. He seemed to be thinking, the tears still running down his face at full speed as his eyes flickered with fear. Ned watched as Tony pressed his lips to Peter's forehead, the action barely noticeable but there. Ned took another time to glance at Flash, who looked like he was about to melt into a puddle. His cheeks were red, as if he were embarrassed. 

"H-he d-didn't tell m-me his name." Ned barely heard him, squeezing MJ's hand tighter. Tony's face paled.

"He...?" He trailed off, all the blood gone from the billionaire's face. "Shit. Oh, jesus."

"I w-wanna go home." Peter whispered next, choking on a sob at the end of his sentence.

"I'll call Aunt May and let her know what's happened so she can meet us at your apartment, yeah?" Tony replied, and Ned was shocked at the sudden panic covering Peter's face. Tony seemed to notice, too, worry seeping into his expression instantly. "No?"

"Don' wanna b-bother her." Peter stammered, the panic clear on his face as his eyes darted around. "Don' wanna, don' wanna t-tell..."

"We're going to have to tell her at some point, Underoos. She did raise you." Tony looked like he was panicking himself, now. "I thought you wanted to go home?"

"T-tower."

"Oh." Tony whispered, as if he couldn't believe it himself. "Okay. We can go back to the tower."

Peter seemed to be nodding in confirmation, leaning his head back against Tony's shoulder and hid his face from view. Ned didn't know what to do next as the silence engulfed them, Peter's heavy breathing being the only sound in the room. Voices outside were heard, people still seemingly mingling around the door to see what was happening, and why Iron Man had crashed Flash Thompson's party. Or more so, a party. Half of the guests were strangers.

"How are you going to get him out?" Ned then asked, swallowing all his fears of talking to his idol.

Tony pursed his lips, worry present in his eyes. "I don't know."

Another ten minutes ticked by, Ned quietly watching Tony rock Peter back and forth. He had noticed with dread that Peter had in fact stopped crying and panicking, his face masking into that stony, expressionless one. He was staring at the roof, eyes barely moving and barely blinking. Ned could tell Tony was noticing, running a hand through Peter's hair in an attempt to bring him back to reality.

It did nothing to get rid of that look on his face and the glassy look in his eyes, but he did move his head to rest back on Tony's shoulder. He presumed his staring, blinking slowly. 

That was when Tony finally got the message that Happy had arrived.

Ned had only met Happy during the Homecoming night, and he was very sure teh man that always drove Peter around didn't like him very much.

He ignored that thought and watched as Tony hauled himself up from the ground, Peter in his arms and everything. Ned watched in awe once again as the Iron Man suit turned around, arms outstretched and ready to take Peter's body. Tony slowly lowered Peter into his suit's arms, making sure the blanket was snug around his body so it wouldn't fall away. 

Peter clung onto the suit as if he were clinging onto Tony himself, though is eyes were always watching the man as he made his way to the front. "Let's go. The car's waiting for us, you kids can make it home yourselves, can't you?"

Ned and MJ shared a look, before looking at the billionaire once again.

"You don't?" Tony asked, and they both shook their heads. "I'll have Happy come back for you."

Ned just nodded, finally meeting eye contact with Peter for the first time since he had found him there, laying on the bed completely emotionless. He looked like that now, though his eyes did soften when they met with Ned's. They said nothing, Ned smiling very slightly. Peter didn't smile back, but the gratitude was clear in his eyes.

"Whose house is this, anyways?" Tony then asked as he was preparing to push past people, Peter watching his every move.

Flash didn't answer, and Tony didn't notice.

Lucky for him.

And before Ned could comprehend it, Peter was being taken away, being held protectively by Tony Stark's suit. Ned moved to look out of the window, feeling content when he saw Peter being deposited gently into the black Audi without any complications. No one seemed to have followed them out, and Ned watched as Tony slid into the car. The door shut, and before he knew it it was speeding off, the Iron Man suit taking off and presumably flying back to Stark Tower.

God, he felt like such a piece of shit friend.

"Stop blaming yourself." MJ said in his ear, making him jump. "We couldn't possibly have known this was going to happen."

"If we hadn't convinced him to-"

"Ned, really?"

Ned looked down, not wanting to let the tears fall.

"It was probably my fault." Flash spoke up, causing both of their heads to raise in his direction. "My party got gatecrashed the same time he disappeared, right?"

"Right." Both Ned and MJ said in unison.

"There. My fault. I'm sorry."

Flash? Saying sorry? That was very new.

"It's not your fault either, dipshit. How were you of all people supposed to know that this was going to happen?" MJ snapped, her hold being the one to tighten on his hand this time. "Blaming ourselves isn't going to do anything for Peter."

"He wasn't lying about knowing Tony Stark."

"Flash, this isn't the time."

Silence fell over them after that, the house having gone quiet. It was as if all the people had disappeared, leaving the three of them being left in Flash's house.

It took another hour for Happy to arrive, and another half an hour to be returned home.

_Why did this have to happen?_


	2. Bizarre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took me so long jesus christ
> 
> originally i had this in peter's point of view but it didn't seem to sit right with me, so i changed to to tony instead. i hope you don't mind!
> 
> i also changed it from the compound to stark tower because the compound is too hard for me to write about... sorry
> 
> anyways sorry for making you all wait and thank you for all the nice comments!
> 
> also, if you didn't notice already, i've added a third chapter ;)
> 
> there's probably also mistakes bc i didn't edit this but oH wEll

Tony felt empty.

He wanted a drink, but he couldn't. He'd been sober for years, he'd finally managed to drop the addiction. He had finally gotten past it, even after the whole debacle with Rogers and the rest of the Avengers.

He couldn't drink. He wouldn't.

When he had received the call from Peter so late in the night, he had only been a little worried. Maybe Peter was just out on patrol late? He tended to do that, so Tony decided to play off his worry with a joke. But when he had heard a voice that was not Peter's, any trace of jokes or Peter's patrol were wiped from his head as Ned spoke down the phone, the distinct sound of pounding music blaring through the phone. Immediately, he was having F.R.I.D.A.Y. track the phone as Ned told him some of the situation, his mind going through several different emotions when he heard exactly what Ned had said.

His kid had no clothes. Ned thought he was...

_Anguish. Anger. Terror._

His kid could have been...

_Fury._

As he listened to Peter speak jumbled words into the phone, he was already flying to the location. He had the called transferred from his phone to the suit, fear pricking at every sense as he flew to the location as quickly as he could, barely beginning to imagine what state he was going to find Peter in. Peter was still saying things Tony couldn't even hope to understand, his voice shaking and raw as a mix of illegible words fell from his mouth. He was crying, and Tony hated the sound of his kid crying, and he never wanted to hear it again. He also didn't know when he started thinking of Peter as his kid, but that was a worry for another time. There was much bigger matters than this.

When he was almost at the location, he did one of the hardest things he had to do.

"I'm a minute away, kiddie. I'm going to end the call now, I'll be with you soon."

He didn't understand Peter's reply, just like the rest of the things the kid had said, so instead of asking him to say it again he ended the call. Just as he ended the call, his boots thumped down onto the concrete outside of a quite large house, the music only just reaching his ears through the suit. "F.R.I.D.A.Y, what room is Peter's phone in?"

"It appears to be in a guest room on the second floor, sir."

Without hesitating, he stormed through the open door of the house and was immediately faced with a swarm of teenagers. A lot of them also looked a lot older than Peter, which escalated his worries as he began pushing through the shellshocked teens. What the hell was Peter doing here? Parties were not his scene, especially with so many people.

He didn't stop moving, vaguely appreciating that the teenagers were moving out of the way and allowing him access to the stairs. He was aware of the music stopping, and he was very aware of the it stopping upon his arrival. He knew everyone inside was shocked that the literal Iron Man had ransacked their party, but Tony had no time for any of them as he make his way as fast as he could up the stairs. He hurried to the red dot, aware of the countless footsteps behind him as he made his way to the closed door, intense fear clawing at his heart as he hit the door open, barely registering as it smacked against the wall.

He saw the shocked faces of the three teenagers inside first, and then what was on the bed. Peter.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, let me out." The suit opened instantly, before closing straight back up and turning to guard the door. He didn't hesitate, and he felt everything within him crumple when he saw Peter's face. Peter was reaching for him, his face creased in pain and fear as he made those desperate grabby hands. The blanket that had been wrapped around his kid fell from his body, and it took everything inside him not to scream in terror and anger at the sight.

How could someone do this to his kid? What had he done to deserve this?

As soon as they were in arms reach, Peter's arms were around his neck and his body was being pulled closer to Tony's. Tony had seen the purple, ugly hickey's on his kid's neck, and he could see the angry red scratches coating the skin on his back. They were already healing, and Tony didn't want to look any lower, because he knew what he would see would be even worse. He could feel that Peter was becoming cold, and he could see the goosebumps beginning to cover his skin.

He gestured to one of the boys, Ned, for the blanket in his hands that had previously been wrapped around Peter. He immediately gave it to him without hesitation, Tony adjusting Peter so he was more bridal style in his arms, wrapping the blanket around him so every private piece of him was covered and away from prying eyes.

Tony wanted to cry. He wanted to scream, he wanted to kill whoever had done this to his kid.

"I've got to get him out of here." He spoke up, wanting to get Peter out of there as fast as possible. "He needs to get to the doctors."

Before Ned or MJ could say a word, he was continuing. "I'll have Happy pick us up. F.R.I.D.A.Y, alert Happy of what's happened and tell him to pick us up."

He turned to Peter next, speaking lowly so he wouldn't hurt Peter's ears, just in case. If he had a sensory overload, it would just add to the list of complications and Peter didn't need this to be any harder. Tony felt the tears vaguely burn at his eyes as he spoke to Peter, the kid's head buried deep into Tony's neck. His face was hot, there were tears, and all Tony wanted to do was to get Peter out of here and hide him away from the world for the rest of his life. He needed to see his Aunt May, Peter needed to be with someone he felt comfortable with.

"Hey, Petey." He whispered, gently moving Peter's head from where it was still buried in his neck. "Do you have the name of the person who did this to you?"

Peter didn't reply at first, his head lolling forward to where his forehead knocked against Tony's chin. He seemed to be thinking, the tears still running down his face at full speed as his eyes flickered with fear. Without really thinking about it, Tony pressed his lips to Peter's forehead very lightly, almost as if the action had never happened. His heart was clenching painfully, the panic beginning to set in as the reality of the situation dawned on him.

"H-he d-didn't tell m-me his name." Tony's felt all the blood drain from his face. No.

No.

"He...?" He trailed off, the ice cold terror shooting through his veins as he realised what had happened to his kid. His kid had been assaulted in the worst way possible. "Shit. Oh, jesus."

"I w-wanna go home." Peter whispered next, choking on a sob at the end of his sentence.

"I'll call Aunt May and let her know what's happened so she can meet us at your apartment, yeah?" Tony replied, and instead of the nod he was expecting, Peter's face morphed into one of complete terror. Worry made it's way into his mind as he looked down at Peter's panicked expression, the tears still running down his cheeks like a waterfall. "No?"

"Don' wanna b-bother her." Peter stammered, the panic clear on his face as his eyes darted around. "Don' wanna, don' wanna t-tell..."

"We're going to have to tell her at some point, Underoos. She did raise you." Tony was panicking. "I thought you wanted to go home?"

"T-tower"

"Oh." Tony whispered, as if he couldn't believe it himself. "Okay. We can go back to the tower."

Peter nodded in confirmation, leaning his head back against Tony's shoulder and hid his face from view once again. Tony could hear the curious voices of people outside the door and behind the suit, the suit's repulsers charging up when someone got to close. Tony really had no idea how to get Peter out without being seen, and his only option was to use the suit to carry him. 

It seemed to be as if Ned was thinking the same thing. "How are you going to get him out?" 

Tony pursed his lips, thinking through his plan. He had one, but he wasn't sure if it was going to work. "I don't know."

Another ten minutes ticked by, Tony gently rocking Peter back and forth as they waited for Happy to arrive. Tony hated the way that Peter had stopped crying and panicking, his face masking into that stony, expressionless one, almost as if he couldn't feel anything at all. He was staring up at the roof, eyes barely moving and barely blinking as he did so. He ran a hand through Peter's hair, trying to grab the boy's attention as he did so. It did nothing to get rid of the that horrible look on the kid's face, but he did in face move to rest his head on Tony's shoulder, presuming his staring at Tony's face instead. 

Tony felt a little awkward under his intense stare, and hated the way the kid was looking at him. It was almost as if he weren't really there. If Peter hadn't been breathing and blinking, Tony would have thought the kid was dead. He hated it, he hated how his kid was feeling. He hated what had happened. Why would someone do this to a kid like Peter? He didn't deserve that. No one did.

That was when Tony finally got the message that Happy had arrived.

Tony hauled himself up from the ground, Peter still in his arms. Thank god Peter was light, or else he wouldn't know if his back would appreciate it. He would have carried Peter out himself if there weren't so many teenagers looming just by the door. He gestured with his watch for the suit to turn around as he held Peter, it's arms outstretching for Tony to place him there. He slowly and gently lowered Peter into his suit's arms, making sure the blanket was snug around his body so it wouldn't fall away and expose his body.

Tony watched as Peter clung onto the suit, his eyes watching Tony's every move as he made his way to the front, so he was beside the suit at Peter. He turned back to the kids, who were all watching him with terrified and sad expressions.

"Let's go. The car's waiting for us, you kids can make it home yourselves, can't you?"

Ned and the girl shared a look, before looking at the billionaire once again.

"You don't?" Tony asked, and they both shook their heads. "I'll have Happy come back for you."

"Whose house is this, anyways?" Tony then asked as he was preparing to push past people, Peter still watching his every move with wide eyes.

Nobody answered him, and he didn't really care at all in that moment.

With that, the suit stood out the way and allowed Tony to be in front. He lead the way, the suit following right behind him as he shoved past the bunch of teenagers who were staring at him in awe and confusion. He checked back every few seconds to make sure that Peter was safe, the boy now looking around him with wide and even more terrified arms. Tony felt bad, but there was no other way to get him out of the house safely.

Before he knew it, they were outside and Peter was being safely put into Happy's black Audi. He slid straight in after him, gently placing his arms around Peter's quivering body as he sent the suit back to the tower. Peter flinched away from him, Tony's heart and stomach both convulsing painfully in regret as he moved to take his arms away and give Peter some space, but instead, the kid moved closer to him with a faint whimper.

The car took off from the sidewalk, Happy glancing worriedly in the review mirror at Peter. Tony looked back down at the kid, who had one hand peeking out of the blanket and was playing with the hem of Tony's shirt. Tony had been in the lab when Ned had called him, so he was wearing one of his work shirts that was covered in oil and grime. Peter didn't seem to care, his heavy breathes being the only sound in the car as they made the drive to Stark Tower.

Tony had no idea what to think. What was he going to do? How was he going to tell Peter's aunt? 

Would he have Peter get a rape kit done? 

God, he had no idea what to do. Peter was in pain, and he hated it. 

These thoughts continued the whole ride to the tower and to the med-bay, where Peter was now currently restlessly sleeping on one of the hospital beds. Tony wanted a drink, he wanted to pretend that this wasn't actually happened right now, but he couldn't do that. He couldn't leave Peter.

Peter had fallen asleep sometime during arriving at the tower and Happy carrying him to the hospital bed, giving him no time to clean himself up. All that had been put on him was a white hospital gown and that same blanket, and Tony had no idea whether to ask the kid if he would have liked to get a rape kit done or not. How could he even ask such a question after what had happened?

Of course, Tony wanted to find out who the hell hurt his kid and wanted them in jail as fast as possible. He had F.R.I.D.A.Y. scan Peter for STDs, breathing a long sigh of relief when the result was negative, and that Peter had no infections from the unprotected sex. He then had Peter scanned for other injures, F.R.I.D.A.Y. listing off the complications and making Tony feel sick to his stomach, even more than he had already.

"There appears to be bruising on Peter's neck, a cut lip, though that is steadily healing along with the scratches on his back and legs." Tony felt the tears coming. Happy set a hand on his shoulder, his grip tight and reassuring as F.R.I.D.A.Y. continued to list of what was wrong with Peter. "There seems to be irritation and pain around the anus. There also seems to be some bleeding, but that is slowly healing too."

God.

Tony ran a hand through his own hair, staring at Peter in shock. He needed to tell his Aunt.

"Is there anything else, Fri?" Tony asked, his throat feeling like it was closing in on him.

"No, Boss, that seems to be it." F.R.I.D.A.Y. reassured him, empathy in her animatronic tone. "There is nothing life threatening, and all wounds should heal healthily on their own. Young Peter is very lucky."

He shouldn't be. He shouldn't even be in this situation in the first place.

"I need to call May." Tony whispered, staring at Peter's furrowed eyebrows. God, he wished Rhodey was here. He would know what to do. But he was visiting family, and Pepper was also out on a business trip. If Happy wasn't here, he would have no idea what to do without him. "Should I wake him?"

"Only if you want to." Happy replied, squeezing his shoulder. "But it may be better if he's the one to tell her?"

"Okay." Tony whispered, chewing his lip. "He already said he doesn't want to tell her."

"Ask him again."

Tony leant forward, Happy's hand falling away from his shoulder as he gently laid a hand on Peter's. The boy flinched violently in his sleep, Tony's heart clenching painfully in his chest as he kept his hand there, letting Peter get used to the touch before he gently began to shake him.

When Peter's tired eyes opened, they were already filled with tears. He was staring directly at Tony, his eyes filled with those tears and helplessness as he watched him. Tony found himself looking down, unable to meet his kid's eyes as he felt like he had let the boy down. He should have gotten their faster.

But getting there faster wouldn't change what had happened.

"Do you want your Aunt to come see you?" Tony asked, finally mustering up the courage to look back up at the kid. The tears were already running down Peter's face, the boy shaking his head rapidly. "She'll be very worried about you, Underoos. Did she know you were going to a party tonight?" More shaking of the head. "Is that why you don't want her to know?"

Tony didn't know what to expect. Peter began shaking his head, fearfully glancing around the room for a few seconds. "Don' wanna bother her. We need.. the m-money."

Tony swore his heart shattered. "Petey, no amount of money would compare how much she cares for you. She wouldn't be mad if you interrupted her work."

Peter didn't answer, eyes sliding away from Tony's face. After all this was over, he was going to make sure to offer May a job, or even just give her some money. A lot of it. She deserved to be happy and not working her ass off, Tony knew how many shifts she had been working. Peter had told him about that, but had never mentioned the struggles with money. Tony had suspected it, but he almost wished for it to not be true.

Why did good people always get the shitty treatment?

"I'm going to call her, okay? Or, if you would like to, you can call her." Peter was shaking his head again. Tony chewed his lip, really wishing he had a drink right now to calm his nerves down, so he wouldn't feel everything as much. "Would you like me to call her?" Peter nodded his head.

He hastily grabbed his phone from where he had pocketed it in his haste to get into the suit, immediately scrolling through to May's contact. She had put her number in his phone after she found out about Peter's Spider-Man activities, just incase something went wrong and he needed to call her. Which was appropriate for the situation they were currently in.

He pulled the phone up to his ear, listening to the rings for a few seconds before May's voice was sounding into his left ear. "Tony? What's happened, is something wrong?"

Tony didn't want to tell her that there was something wrong, that Peter was hurt. He didn't want to make her worry, but he also didn't want her to go unknowing of the current situation. He almost wanted the woman to be there to comfort Peter in a way Tony couldn't, in a way only a mother could to her child.

Tony would never have that relationship with any kid. He would never have someone to call his kid, and no one would ever want to call him their father.

Sure, he called Peter his kid. But that was different. 

The more Tony thought about it, the more he found himself wrong. So instead of dwelling on it, he finally brought up the courage within himself to tell May what was going on. "Peter's been hurt. I, um, can't tell you over the phone. I don't think it's something we discuss over the phone."

"Peter's been hurt?" She almost yelled, Tony flinching. Peter obviously heard her, the tears noticeably beginning to run faster as he reached out for the phone. Tony went to give it to him so he could talk to May, but instead, he shook his head and continued to reach out. Was Peter reaching out for... him?

Yeah, right.

Hesitantly, he moved forwards to hold Peter's hand.

He had been expecting the kid to pull away, but instead, he held onto Tony's hand as if it were a lifeline. He seemed to calm down a little, Tony hearing May's frantic words through the phone. He snapped back into reality, tearing his eyes away from Peter to look at the wall instead. He kept a tight hold on the kid's hand, his sniffles echoing through the room as he brought the phone back up to his ear. "Sorry."

"Tony, tell me what the hell is going on! What's happened to Peter?" May's angry voice snapped at him, Tony's heart stuttering as he tried to figure out what to say. "Tony!"

"It's really not something for me to say over the phone, but Peter needs you here. Would you be able to come to Stark Tower? I'll have my staff waiting for you." Tony tried to avoid the topic as much as possible, wanting Peter to be the one to tell his Aunt. Or, if he couldn't, Tony didn't want to tell her something so horrible over the phone.

"Yes, of course, I'll be there as soon as I can." May replied, her voice becoming more frantic. "Is he okay? Is he breathing."

"He's not dead." Tony replied, sparing a glance at Peter. He was watching Tony, the tears leaking from his eyes as his whole body shook rapidly. How could he even think of asking this kid if he wanted to have a rape kit done?

He would still have to ask. Just in case Peter wanted to find out who did this tp him, if it would make him feel safer.

Tony would never force him to do it. Never.

"I'll be there in half an hour." She then hung up before Tony could say anything else, and he found himself feeling relieved that he didn't have to speak to her anymore. He was becoming stressed out even faster, and he had no idea how to comprehend this entire situation. Peter had been raped, and he had been too late to stop it.

"T'ny.." Peter whispered, drawing Tony's attention back to him. "Can I.. can I have a shower?"

Tony's heart clenched. "Petey, can I ask you a question?"

Peter shakily nodded, fear flashing over his eyes. Tony took that as a go sign. Better now than never, right?

"This is only if you want to, I am not forcing you to do this in any way." Tony breathed in, shakily breathing out soon after. "Would you like to have a rape kit done and possibly figure out who did this to you?"

Peter paused. He still kept a tight hold on Tony's hand, Tony rubbing a thumb over Peter's knuckle as the kid thought through his options. Happy's hand had returned to his shoulder, squeezing once again to let him know he was still there, and that he wasn't going through this alone. Tony let Peter think about it, the boy taking almost five minutes to come up with his answer. Tony didn't mind, he would wait hours just to make sure that the kid was comfortable.

Peter shook his head. "Don' care. Feel dirty." He whispered, his hand tightening impossibly tighter. Well not really impossibly, knowing that the kid had super strength and could squeeze a lot tighter than he was.

Wait.

Super strength.

Tony let the thought wash away from him immediately, plastering a false but hopefully believable smile on his face. Knowing how observant Peter was, he would never believe that smile was real. If he did notice, the kid didn't say anything, continuing to tell Tony things he wished he would never have to hear. This entire thing should have never happened, Peter didn't deserve such a horrible thing happening to him.

Who could be so sick, so vile to do this to a kid? He was only fifteen.

_He was a fifteen-year-old kid._

Tony felt the tears returning as he listened to Peter, trying to hold them in as he spoke. Tony never cried.

__

"Wanna be clean, it hurts. Please." Peter whispered, and the next thing that came out of Peter's mouth he never wanted to hear in a situation like this. "I'm sorry."

__

"Peter, there is nothing for you to be possibly sorry for. This is not your fault." Tony ensured him, leaning forwards and letting go of Peter's hand. Peter whimpered, Tony instantly moving to run his hand through the kid's hair instead. Peter moved into his touch as Tony continued to speak, trying to wipe any of those thoughts from Peter's mind as he did so. "This is not your fault. He took advantage of you, and that is no way your fault."

__

"But I was stronger than him," Peter whispered, and Tony instantly knew he was talking about his powers now. "so why couldn't I fight back?"

__

"You were in shock, that boy was a sick bastard." Tony almost growled, continuing to run his hand through Peter's hair. "It is not. Your. Fault."

__

"I t-tried.." Peter murmured so quietly Tony was surprised he managed to pick it up. "But I didn't w-want him to figure out I w-was Spider-Man. He was s-stronger."

__

"It's okay, Peter. This isn't your fault." Tony whispered back, maintaining his eye contact with Peter. "Let's get you into the shower before May arrives, yeah?"

__

Peter nodded, slowly beginning to push himself up. Tony backed away to give the kid some space as he sat up, his heart pounding in his ears as he watched Peter move, his face scrunching up in pain and tears as he moved up into a seated position. Tony couldn't begin to imagine what it felt like, to have-

__

No.

__

He couldn't think about that.

__

He stood up, holding both hands out for Peter so he could help him stand. Peter took his hands, swivelling his body so his legs were hanging off of the bed. Tony hated the way he squirmed and whimpered with every movement that applied pressure onto his backside, finding himself cringing with Peter as he began to gently ease himself off of the bed.

__

Soon his feet hit the floor, Tony holding him up so they could begin to make their way to the bathroom that was attached to the medical room. Tony had it installed in his tower just incase for emergencies involving himself or people the he cared about, and Tony was glad he had. If he had done to the compound, it would have taken far too long, and there was much less privacy there. He never really visited the compound that much anymore, since the Avengers broke up. He never had the need to go there anymore, aside from work. His family was no longer there, everyone had left him and were still on the run.

__

He didn't need them, anyways. He had Pepper, he had Rhodey, Happy, and of course, Peter. 

__

With that thought, he aided Peter into the small bathroom and helped him sit down on the closed toilet seat. Tony started the shower for him, warming it to an appropriate heat before turning to Peter. "Do you want any help or are you okay?"

__

He usually would have felt awkward asking that question, but at that moment, he really couldn't care any less.

__

"No, I'll be o-okay." Peter whispered, using the counter beside him to shakily stand. "Thank you."

__

"Don't sweat it." Tony replied, and before he was noticing what he was doing, he was caressing Peter's cheek. "Yell out if you need anything."

__

He wasn't really expecting Peter to lean into his touch, but he brushed off the strangely paternal instincts and pulled a wary smile onto his face. Peter didn't smile back, but Tony could vaguely see the slight shine in his eyes. A small piece of the Peter he knew was present for just a few seconds, but before he could savour it, it was gone.

__

Tony left him feeling wary, hoping that Peter would be okay.

__

He knew his hope was bizarre.

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to leave some feedback :)


	3. Panic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry i took so long to update this fic omfg  
> firstly, i had no inspo for this chapter and i was really struggling, so sorry if this is bad  
> secondly, my left shift button stopped working, so it's hard to adjust to the right one.... lol  
> thirdly, i was writing other one shots 
> 
> i'm sorry if this is bad, i tried my best
> 
> i also didn't edit this so there's gonna be mistakes

He felt it everywhere.

He was leant against the wall of the shower, his fingers hazardously scratching down his skin in an attempt to get rid of those touches, to get rid of the remains of the boy who had taken away all of his firsts and his dignity. He could still feel those hands running up and down his sides, scratching him, assaulting parts of his body he couldn't even hope to describe. His stomach curled with nausea as his backside ached, the boiling hot water burning his skin as it rained down on him in a continuous downpour. 

He had hoped the burning hot water would get rid of the touches and make him forget, though all it seemed to do was make it worse. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the boy's face staring down at him with that devilish smile, his eyes full of something that resembled anger as he took it all out on Peter. The sounds of a picture being taken, the sounds that the boy had made when he touched Peter. The boy had been angry when he snagged Peter from his friends when he, and them, weren't paying attention. They didn't even seem to notice he was gone.

It all happened too fast.

He choked on his tears as he scrubbed at his skin with the soap, trying desperately to get rid of the feeling of being dirty all over. He could have fought back, he could have easily chucked that boy across the room like he weighed nothing. But Peter Parker wasn't Spider-Man, he was human as far as everyone else knew. If he used his powers, his alter-ego could have been exposed. That boy was stronger than the human Peter Parker, and Peter just let everything happen to him without anymore complaints.

Then, when the boy he still did not know the name of was finished with him, he gathered all of his clothes in his arms before hurtling out the window. Peter watched everything happen as he laid broken on the bed, every inch of his body aching terribly as he watched the older boy take his clothes, the very last strands of his dignity. The only thing he had left was his phone.

Another sob made it's way out of his mouth as he continued to scrub, his wet hair hanging in his eyes as he desperately scrubbed away at his exposed skin. He hoped Tony couldn't hear him, his lip bleeding once again from how hard he was biting it. He wished he could turn back time so non of this had happened, so he could have said no to Ned and MJ so everything wouldn't have had to happen.

Though, this just took his thoughts back to the 'what ifs.'

What if it had been MJ or Ned the boy had targeted? What if he hadn't been there to protect him?

Better him than his friends.

Better him than anyone.

Hell, he even wondered what would have happened if Flash was in his position. The boy had seen Peter at his worst, completely naked, and had watched the whole scene of Tony turning up to save him like a damsel in distress. Peter was aware that his bully was there, but he had never really looked at him. He didn't want to look at him, he didn't want to give Flash another reason to torment him at school.

Oh, God, school.

How was he going to go back to school?

What if the boy released the picture he took of him?

He choked on his tears once again as he continued to scrub at his skin, ignoring the angry red colour as he ran his fingers over his sides, his stomach, his outer and inner thighs, his backside. He ignored the constant ache, trying to rid his skin of the disease he felt like he had contracted. What if he had a STD now? What if the boy had passed over some fatal disease? He hadn't used protection...

The more he thought about it, the more he panicked, and the more he could feel those boy's hands travelling around his body and his lips on Peter's. His kisses had been forceful, his teeth biting hard on Peter's lip and causing it to bleed. He remembered the hickeys being sucked into his neck, one of the very first things the boy had done. He knew he should have fought back, but he couldn't. It was almost as if there were a mental barrier blocking all of his impulses, leaving him completely defenceless as he let the boy have his way with him. 

Peter remembered every single moment from when the boy grabbed him until he was leaving through the window, he remembered every touch and every moment he felt completely powerless. Despite the situation, his lower half had somehow gotten aroused, even though Peter didn't feel good in the slightest. The boy had teased him for it, the dirty words that left his mouth leaving Peter's stomach churning even more aggressively than before.

Peter hated his body had reacted that way, but he couldn't help it. It was a normal reaction.

He could have fought back.

He was weak.

He was weak now, he couldn't get rid of the boy's touches. He found himself hunching over, coughing heavily as his back came away from where he was resting on the shower's wall. He could feel whatever food he had managed to keep down beginning to rise, a gag leaving his mouth as the tears continued to flow. The water flowed around him, the boiling water searing away at his skin as he gagged once more.

The third time he gagged, the food came out, and so did his hoarse sobs. He couldn't breathe.

Once he was finished he collapsed onto the floor in a heap of limbs, hitting his head on shower's glass wall as he did so. He barely registered the pain as he sobbed, his breathing becoming shorter and shorter as his vomit began to go down the drain as it mixed with water. He barely noticed when the door of the tiny bathroom was thrown open, and he hardly noticed when the shower door opened. 

It was when he heard the voice and felt the hand on his shoulder when he felt it, his body cowering away from the touch as the voice rang around his ears. "Shit, Peter, the water's too hot!"

Was that Tony? He couldn't really tell. 

Just after the words processed through his brain, the water was being shut off and the air was hitting his skin. He whimpered before choking on his tears, his whole body burning as he pushed himself into the corner of the shower. His head was aching slightly, but he ignored it as he slowly lifted his eyes to meet Tony's. The man looked worried, his eyes looking slightly red and glassier than normal. Had Tony.. had Tony been crying? Why would Tony be crying? 

The billionaire was crouched down at Peter's level, his concerned eyes watching Peter as he held the towel in his hands. Peter could feel every part of his body burning from both the boy's touches and the boiling water, the cold air doing nothing to help as Tony began to speak to him.

"Your Aunt is going to be here soon, Petey. Do you want to get dressed?" Tony's voice was soft and so unlike the Tony he was usually with, and this was the reason why Peter felt the need to go to him. "Maybe we can have a movie night, I'm sure we can drag Happy into it." His voice was still soft, but there was an underlying tone to it that Peter couldn't figure out. He was trying to lighten the situation, trying to help Peter forget.

He found himself nodding, the mention of May and movies making him feel a little less like he was choking. Tony sent him a wobbly smile, opening the towel for Peter to crawl into. He hesitated for a few seconds, eyeing Tony and then the towel, before pulling himself along the wet floor and into Tony's awaiting arms. He felt like a scared animal while he did this, the shame and embarrassment eating him alive as Tony wrapped the towel around his shoulders and back.

He let Peter sit there for a few minutes, both arms wrapped around his upper body as he calmed down. Peter was still beyond embarrassed, but the pain in his ass was a constant reminder of what the nameless boy had done to him.

He finally found enough willpower to stand, Tony helping him do so before handing him some clothes, his pyjamas. Tony must have gone to grab them from his room, the man turning around to at least give Peter some more privacy and dignity, even though he had none left. The man he idolised, thought of as a father figure, was mentored by, had seen him completely naked and in his most vulnerable state. How could he possibly have any dignity left after all of that?

He tried desperately to get himself dressed without hurting himself, but he only managed to get his boxers on before he was whimpering involuntarily. Tony whirled around as soon as the sound left his mouth, Peter meeting his mentor's eyes with desperation as he braced one hand on the small sink that was situated beside him. He was completely, and utterly, humiliated.

"Do you need help?" Tony asked, sounding unsure of what he was asking. Peter could do nothing but nod. "Okay, okay. Alright."

Peter braced one hand on Tony's shoulder when the man was within reach, stepping into his pyjama pants when they were held out for him. Next was his shirt, Peter slowly raising his arms when Tony held the shirt out for him. He found himself leaning heavily into Tony's touch, his forehead resting on his mentor's shoulder as the man's arms came around him. His hair was still sopping wet, though Peter didn't have much care for it as he soaked as much comfort out of Tony's hold as he could. 

Though, he could still feel it. He could still feel the hands trailing along his skin, he could still feel everything. God, why couldn't his brain just let him forget?

"Come on, we're having a movie night." Tony whispered, his voice now sounding as if he were choking up. "I'll have F.R.I.D.A.Y. direct May to the living room. Alright?"

Peter nodded into his shoulder before pulling away, letting Tony slowly lead him out of the small bathroom and back into the medical room, his eyes instantly finding Happy. The man was watching with saddened eyes, Peter wincing when the pain in his backside began to flare up once again from the movement. Peter was left wondering if there was something wrong down there, knowing it shouldn't have hurt that much. What if he was internally bleeding or something?

Sometime during this train of thought, Peter's knees had buckled and he was on his way to the floor. Before he could face plant on the tiles, Tony was catching him and Happy was making his way over. Peter barely flinched when new hands touched him, his skin beginning to go numb from both the touches and the boiling hot water he had used in his shower. He didn't register when he was lifted into someones arms, most likely Happy's, and was being taken to the living space. He was laid gently on the couch, blankets soon being wrapped around him as he stared blankly into the TV screen.

It was when Tony sat down beside him when he snapped out of it, his still soaked hair dripping down onto his forehead as his head was moved, Tony resting it in his lap. Peter looked up at his mentor, the tears beginning to make yet again another appearance as he read the expression on his face. Tony looked like he were also about to cry, and he also looked like he was lost. Peter had never seen that look on his mentor's face before, and he never wanted to see it again.

Tony was looking back down at him, a hand running through Peter's hair as they sat in silence. The TV was never turned on, the two of them basking in the quiet as Peter fought to keep his emotions in check. He could still feel everything, of course, he feared it was never going to go away. It hadn't really been long since the boy had raped him, but it already felt like months. Even years. 

Peter didn't know how to react to the feelings anymore. So, instead of trying to talk, he rolled over so his face was buried in Tony's stomach, the fabric of his shirt comforting him as he squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to think about it anymore, he didn't want to think about everything that had happened anymore. He didn't want to think about the touches or the vomiting in the shower. He wanted to feel nothing.

It wasn't really a scary thought to him, but he continued to ignore it as Tony moved to run a hand up and down his back. "God, Petey, this is a mess, isn't it?" His voice sounded choked up, Peter's body freezing upon the sound. It only took him a few seconds to start nodding in agreement, wishing May would arrive quicker. If he wanted to feel the slightest bit okay, he would need both of his parental figures here. He needed them. 

He couldn't believe he had let this happen to him.

It was almost like F.R.I.D.A.Y. was listening in on his thoughts, her robotic Irish accent echoing over them from the ceiling. "May Parker is on her way, Boss."

"Thanks, Fri." Tony whispered so quietly Peter must have used his enhanced hearing to pick it up. He didn't relax in the slightest, the trauma still rocketing through his veins as they fell into silence once again. May was in the building. She was coming. 

He didn't know how long it took for May to arrive, but when he heard the lift ding, a spark of hope filled his chest. For a few seconds, the pain in his entire body had disappeared and he was pushing himself up out of Tony's lap, searching for May's familiar face. It didn't take long for her to enter the room, her worried and frantic eyes searching over the room before finally landing on him. "Peter!"

Tony was holding onto him as he stood up, Peter being thankful he did. If he hadn't, he would have fallen right back down and most likely eating the coffee table instead. May hurried around the couch, her worried face searing into Peter's brain as her arms outstretched, ready for him to fall into. Tears began to reappear as he fell into his Aunt's arms, her worried voice continuing to rupture the once sort of comforting silence. "Peter, honey, what happened? Sweetheart, tell me what's wrong. Did someone hurt you? Tony, what happened?"

Peter didn't want to tell her. He didn't want to say it. He didn't want to make it real. He didn't want to make it reality.

With Tony, he had seen him there, naked and destroyed on the bed. Peter didn't have to explain what happened to him, because the man was there and he had seen it all for himself. Peter didn't have to make it real, he didn't have to let the reality sink in just yet. But now, he did, and he had no idea what to do.

So, instead, he found himself panicking. He looked up from May's shoulder, barely sending her a glance as he looked over to Tony. He almost let the word 'Dad' slip out, catching himself last second as he looked over at Tony in his panic. Maybe if Tony told her, the reality wouldn't have to sink in and become real just yet. Maybe if his mentor told her, he would be able to hold onto his old self for just a little longer.

It took him a while to realise he was having a panic attack. "Peter, honey, I need you to breathe. Come on, sweetie, breath. It's alright, we're here with you. You're not alone."

He tried to copy his Aunt's exaggerated breathing, but he couldn't. He was losing it. He was going insane, wasn't he?

He was supposed to be Spider-Man. He was supposed to have control. He was supposed to be strong, he was supposed to be the one fighting crime for fuck's sake! He had been doing that for almost two years without fatality, and he had always managed to fight of the criminals. He landed a plane on the beach! He could stop cars from hitting buses! So why couldn't he fight of a rapist whose strength was nothing on Peter's own?

Why couldn't he stand up for himself?

Why, why, why?

"Kid, breathe." Dad. No, Tony.

Dad.

"Peter, I need you to breath with me. You're having a panic attack right now, and that's okay. Just breathe with me, alright? Everything is okay. Breathe. C'mon, kiddie." Tony's voice floated around his mind, his lungs barely being able to keep up as his eyes frantically searched around for the two people he cared about the most. His mind had barely registered that he was on the ground, not remembering how he had gotten there. His eyes found May first, who had tears running down her cheeks. When had that happened? Had he made her cry, too?

This revelation just escalated his panic, the tears continuing to flow as he struggled to breathe. His eyes fell away from his Aunt and to Tony, who was watching him with a mirrored expression. When they made eye contact, Tony's eyes immediately filled up with some sort of determination, along with immense concern. Peter was slightly horrified at what was happening to him, along with the fact that his ass was beginning to hurt even more and his head was beginning to pound. His stomach curled in on itself, feeling like someone was doing cartwheels in there. Peter wasn't sure if he could handle throwing up again.

"Yeah, that's it, look at me. Keep looking at me." Tony's voice filtered back into his head, Peter watching his lips move as the words came out. He then flickered his eyes back to Tony's brown ones, who were still watching him and not looking away. "That's it. That's it, Peter. Now, breathe with me, alright?"

Tony still had tears in his eyes and dried ones on his cheeks as he exaggerated his breathing, Peter trying his very best to copy it. The more he thought about the boy's hands on his sides, the more he felt himself spiralling back into insanity. But the more and more he watched Tony, the easier it felt to breath, and the calmer he was becoming. The worst of it was over, he realised, feeling the exhaustion finally settling in and making itself home as he slumped over. Arms immediately wrapped around him, but they weren't Tony's. They were too slim, too delicate. May's.

He fell into her touch, letting himself cry softly as another hand came to rest on his knee, that one being Tony's. "Tony, you've got to tell me what's wrong. What happened?"

"I'm not sure if he wants me to tell you." Tony mumbled, though Peter heard it anyways.

"Tell me what? Stark, I swear to God-" She stopped talking when Peter slowly raised his head, blinking away the blur from his tears. "Peter, honey? Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Peter shook his head, his eyes slowly moving to Tony. He couldn't say it. Tony seemed to get the message, Peter hiding back in his Aunt's arms when his mentor heaved in a heavy sigh. May's arms tensed around him as Tony began speaking, Peter deciding he didn't want to listen to his explanation of what had happened to him. Whether it had been from the humiliation or the re-living of the events, he would never know, and frankly, he didn't want to.

He wanted to sleep away the pain, and maybe never wake up.

Peter effectively tuned Tony out as he went through with his explaination, Peter only knowing it was finished when May wrapped her arms tight around him, her sob indicating that she knew. That she knew how weak he was, that she knew how he could have fought back. She knew everything about his weird powers, she knew he had super strength. He knew he had super strength.

So why the fuck did he never use it?

Peter didn't really know what happened after that. He didn't really listen to what was being said, letting himself being comforted by the two adults he cared for most in the world as he tried to push everything away. He was trying to push away the touches, the pain, the thoughts and even the aftermath of the panic attack.

He and May never left the tower afterwards that night, because he didn't want to. He wanted to be around both of them. He wanted to feel comforted.

And almost three weeks later, he still didn't feel comforted.

He wasn't sure if it was from the fact that he didn't know who had raped him, or by the fact that Flash had been leaving him alone ever since. Peter went back to school after almost a month, the pain eventually fading away within a week or so. Though, the touches he felt hadn't left his skin in the slightest. Yeah, he was far from fine, but he was doing a little better.

Well, he had been until that one, fateful day when everything took a turn.

The first warning sign had been when Flash had confronted him for the first time in six months, his eyes looking nervous and almost regretful. Peter had never seen that look on his bully's face before, and he found himself instantly wanting to turn around and run for his life. Nothing had been the same since the night of Flash's party, and he still found himself looking over his shoulder countless times during the day.

So, when Flash had come up to him asking if they could talk, Peter couldn't contain his fear.

But, despite everything, he slowly followed Flash to a less congested place. "What do you want?" Peter asked, not bothering to be polite. He had lost all his dignity long ago, so talking with Flash he shouldn't be holding anything back. What worse thing could happen to him than rape?

"Look, Parker, I've been thinking." Peter chewed his lip, awaiting for Flash's next words. "I wanted to say sorry."

Sorry?

When did Flash Thompson say sorry? When did Flash Thompson do anything for Peter's benefit? For as long as he could remember, Flash had been his bully and he had been the victim

"Sorry for what?" Peter asked, ignoring the fear brewing in his stomach as he found himself backing away from Flash slightly.

"For what happened at my.. party." Flash replied, Peter watching hesitantly as he did so. He noticed the boy was wringing his hands, his foot tapping against the tiled floor along with his overall nervous stance. Seeing Flash like this was strange, since it was always usually Peter doing the exact thing that the other boy was doing. It was at that moment, Peter fully realised that his bully had seen him completely naked and beaten, and he had seen Tony Stark swoop in and save him.

Peter turned around, not wanting to talk or look at Flash any longer due to the intense humiliation and embarrassment he felt around him. He heard a hitch of breath before a hand grasped his wrist, setting off panic within every one of Peter's cells. He was immediately taken back to that night, that night at Flash's party where that boy took advantage of him. He was immediately reminded of the touches, which in all honesty had never left, but they came back at such an aggressive force that tears were brought to his eyes.

He wrenched his hand out of Flash's grip, the tears already well on their way as the boy's face filtered through his mind. His breathing was picking up, he was sweating, his chest was closing in and Peter was back in that bed, defenceless.

"-arker? Parker?" It was Flash's voice, but Peter found himself yanking his hand out of the boy's grip without hesitation. He knew Flash wasn't the boy who had raped him, he knew he was at school and that boy wasn't here, but he couldn't help but feel like he was being attacked all over again. "Fuck, Peter-"

That's what did it for him.

Peter ran.

He was shoving past people in the crowded corridor, barely recognising Ned's voice when it entered his ears. He didn't stop moving, the tears running down his face at full speed as the exit from this hell came into his view. He didn't stop pushing people out of the way as he got closer and closer to the doors, almost head butting the things when his body fell against them. He pushed the door open, barely registering when his backpack fell from his shoulders and lay abandoned on the ground.

When the fresh hair hit his skin, Peter really let it out. He found his legs becoming like jelly, his body becoming heavy as he toppled forwards onto all fours. He choked on his sobs as he felt the boy's hands run over him, touching him in places he didn't want to be touched. He felt the feeling of the boy inside of him, he remembered the ache he had for a few days afterwards. He remembered the way everyone looked at him.

He almost threw up his breakfast right there and then, once again choking on his cries as he tried to forget everything. He heard the doors open behind him, panic once again fusing into his bones as he tried his best to get up and run away from whoever was behind him. What if the boy was there? What if he went to Peter's school?

"-eter. Peter. Dude, it's me. It's Ned." Ned. Ned was Peter's best friend. Ned Leeds. 

He felt the person kneel beside him, he saw their hands hovering but not touching him. He didn't look up, instead choking on his sobs as his chest continued to cave in. His head was now pounding, his ears were hurting, his stomach was churning and his chest was caving. He had no idea if this even registered as panic anymore.

"Shit, um..." Ned's voice made it's way back into his mind, cutting off the stream of memories for just a few seconds. "You need to breathe. C'mon, man, it's alright. You're at school. MJ is here, too. It's just us."

Peter wanted May and his Dad.

Not Dad. Tony.

Despite his mind's protests, his mouth said it anyways. "C-call D-Dad."

If Ned thought weird of him, Peter didn't notice, because his chest was caving in and the boy was touching him all over again. Fingers on his chest, his sides, his thighs, his penis. He felt it everywhere, it felt like he was drowning in it. He wanted May and he wanted Tony.

His chest constricted even further when a gentle had rested on his back, a shaky sob leaving his mouth as the hand gently began to rub circles into his upper back. Slowly, he looked up, his only feeling being relief when his eyes met MJ's. She looked sad, a slight smile on her face as she held the eye contact with him. "Peter, breathe. You're fine."

He vaguely heard Ned talking on the phone, but he decided to tune it out as he slowly moved towards his friend, forcing himself to breathe as Michelle wrapped an arm around his shoulders, helping him sit back on his knees. His panic didn't stop there, and it didn't even when Happy's car pulled up, and it didn't when he saw Tony hurrying out of the car. It didn't stop until he was in his mentor's arms, ignoring the fact that literally anybody could be watching as he buried his face into Tony's shoulder, not wanting to face his friends or the man himself ever again. He didn't want to face Flash as long as he was alive.

He didn't go to school for another two weeks after that incident, and the day he went back, he didn't see Flash once.

He didn't see Flash for almost a month after his mental breakdown, and Peter found himself feeling glad. It was nice to have a break from his taunts, despite everything that had happened. Even though it had been so long since the night of Flash's party, he was still nowhere near okay.

And he didn't think he ever would be when he saw that face.

He had been out with Ned and Michelle when he saw him. They had just come out of a movie, he was feeling good for the first time in a while, until he saw that face.

Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary when they left the cinemas, moving out onto the street to head to the trains. Peter's eyes had found a small group of teenagers, maybe a few years older than himself, laughing loudly amongst themselves. He watched them for a few seconds as Ned and MJ argued about something, probably the movie, Peter watching as a few boys egged on another. He tried to understand what they were saying, but they were all yelling over each other and Peter couldn't understand a thing, not even with his sensitive hearing. 

He noticed people walking by giving the group of boys dirty looks, Peter wanting to do the same as their voices got incredibly louder as one boy moved away from the pack.

That's when everything went downhill.

Panic exploded in Peter's chest when his eyes met the boy's, his feet already taking him several steps back as the rest of the boys looked at him, too. It was him. 

Without thinking about it, he gripped whoever was closest to him's hand, his chest closing in on him as the boy kept the eye contact. He was smirking, his eyes dark as he looked over at Peter with look he didn't want to determine as lust. God, this couldn't be happening.

"Peter, what's wrong?" Ned asked, and Peter could see his best friend looking at him in the corner of his eye. 

"It's him." Peter whispered, panic running through his veins as the boy continued to stare at him. The rest of their friends were laughing. Did they know who Peter was? Did they know what had happened? Had they been at the party? "I want- I need to get o-out of here."

"Him?" Ned questioned, the hand in his tightening. Peter still had no idea whose hand he grabbed, but that was the least of his problems as the boy continued staring. "Oh God, Peter, is that the guy who-"

Peter was nodding before Ned even finished. 

"Call Stark." MJ said beside him, both of his friends already pulling him away and out of sight of the group. Peter couldn't breathe.

And he didn't until Tony arrived, the man wrapping him up in his arms as he once again bawled his eyes out on his mentor's shoulder.

Peter had never been so terrified, humiliated and safe all at once in his entire life. Terrified, because his literal rapist was walking the streets and had just been looking at him like he wanted to have Peter all to himself again. Humiliated, because he was a sobbing mess in his father figure's arms in a dirty old alleyway with his best friends watching. Safe, because he was with Tony and his best friends. Peter had never felt so conflicted in his life.

As much as Tony, Ned and Michelle wanted, Peter couldn't go after the boy. He couldn't see his face again, he couldn't relive the memories for the thousandth time. He had no evidence, the police may never believe him.

Well, if Tony Stark was involved, maybe they would.

Peter couldn't see that boy's face again. He didn't want to know his name, the names of his friends, what he did for a hobby and what school he went to. He didn't want to know anything about the boy who had taken advantage of him, who had taken advantage of Spider-Man, the boy who had made him feel the weakest he ever had in his life.

He felt like if he knew things about the boy, he would never be able to recover.

Peter always wondered if the boy would do that to someone else, if he would rape someone the same way he did him. Peter wondered if he would be able to stop it.

But he knew, thinking that would just send him deeper into the spiral and to a point where he would never get out.

Maybe it was selfish. Maybe he should take the case to the police. Maybe he should just man up and get over it.

But even so, three months after seeing the boy outside of the cinema, Peter had never seen him again. He was only beginning to recover, he was only just beginning to go out as Spider-Man once again. He was fixing himself.

He would be okay. He had to be.

And on the last day before the four month mark, Karen had alerted him of a woman in trouble, Peter had been faced with a sight that was familiar. It was the same boy. The same boy who had hurt him was hurting someone else, and Peter couldn't stand it.

He felt relieved when he saved the woman before things could get worse, something no one did for him. He felt good when the police arrived, taking the boy into custody and thanking Spider-Man for his efforts. Peter felt happy when the young girl hugged him, crying and blubbering and thanking him for saving her. Peter felt accomplished when that police car drove away, taking his memories along with it.

No, he wasn't fully okay. Even after so many months, he still had nightmares about that night, he still remembered the boy's hands on him. He hadn't engaged in anything romantic since, not that he ever really did before, and that would be a hard rock to move. But that didn't matter right now, because Peter would rather be Spider-Man, and he would rather help people who can't protect themselves.

He wasn't okay, but he would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading and commenting on this fic, it really means a lot to hear from people <333333
> 
> oh and sorry if the ending is weak i lost inspiration

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if the ending of this chap was weak i had no idea what to end it with oof
> 
> leave some feedback if you like :)


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